Category Archives: Family

November 21, 2009 · 5:12 pm

Wonder-full.

I spent part of this weekend doing dental things – a trade show where I succumbed to the temptation to purchase a air/electric highspeed handpiece that has the ability to maintain an even torque.  Now that might not mean much to most of you but it means my drill won’t stall out when the going gets tough.  Also picked up some stuff to help motivate young people with braces to brush better through self assessment of their oral health status – in other words are their teeth covered with yuck or not. 

Then we interviewed a person since we need a second hygienist and ate lunch at Earls.  The salad I had was delicious.

But the best part of the weekend so far was eating pancakes and bacon prepared by my son and eaten with his family and shopping with David, Annette and kids.  It is hard to find truly meaningful gifts for the kids and grandkids.  They do not need more junk.  Neither do I.

But then we stopped at the World Vision Kiosk and my son’s family signed up to support a child from the Congo, finding a boy about the same age as Kieran so they would be able to write to each other.  Kieran thought he would like to give some of his chore money towards supporting him.  That is one of the best gifts they have given me and they are probably not even aware that it blessed me so much to be there as they chose to do that. And one little boy and his village will be blessed and perhaps will understand some of the wonder of love offered across the huge span of distance that separates them; the wonder of what Christ really came to set in motion at Christmas.

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Filed under Dental, Family, grandchildren

November 19, 2009 · 8:04 am

Happy Birthday Little Namesake

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Isn’t she a cutie – and very full of mischief and energy.  Her smile is truly infectious

Nea was born two years ago today.

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November 16, 2009 · 6:53 pm

And tomorrow

I’ve been invited by Christian to go with him to Saskatoon to the Jazz Bassment to hear Alex Cuba.  It may be a late night but should be fun.  And it is kind of cool that Christian thinks his mother likes the right kind of music enough to merit being invited.  I asked if we would be sure to get in, would there just be a cover charge or what and I was informed that we’d be on the guest list.  Super cool.  Can’t say I’ve ever been on any musicians guest list.

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Filed under Day to Day, Family, Music

November 2, 2009 · 7:53 pm

I still have so much to figure out.

I am thinking through – or trying to – my personal theology of work and daily life (my understanding of God’s relationship to my world).  Trying to figure out and appreciate the activity of God in the daily parts of living; you know, my relationship with Leo, the family, visitors, the grandkids, study and work and how my faith mixes with all these things; where God is in this ordinary daily stuff and what he wants from me.

I do not have it all sorted out.  So this might just sound confused or extremely boring and I really do not want to bore you.  So skip this if you want to read someone who has it all put together.

Sixty years and I still have so much to figure out. Continue reading →

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Filed under Day to Day, Family, grandchildren, Reflections, Studying, Writings

October 31, 2009 · 7:20 pm

Halloween

The activity of Halloween has been going on for about three hours so far.  The count for trick or treaters is standing at less than 30.  I should know that this is the number I should plan for by now but I always over anticipate the numbers of kids that will show up.  I think I would like it if more came – little kids anyway.  They are cute and creative and having fun.

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This is Kieran.  A scarecrow.  However by the crow perched on his shoulder I’m not sure how effective he has been at scaring away the birds.  But the costume won him the first prize for costumes in Grade one at his school.  He was pretty proud of that.  The missing teeth are very authentic – three gone so far.

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And Nea is a pretty cute flower too, don’t you think?

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And the other grandkids should be by sometime tonight.  So there may be more pictures later. 

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October 20, 2009 · 6:36 am

Happy Birthday First Born

Who would have thought 36 years ago?

Cut of Eric

That babies grow up to be so adult and balding?

Love you, Eric. 

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October 18, 2009 · 10:26 pm

Notice to Tooth Fairy

I got a call from my grandson tonight.  He has lost a second tooth.  And yes, he really lost it.  It will be found somewhere in the grass outside where he was playing when he banged his teeth on his dad’s head. 

So, dear tooth fairy, look really carefully out there and I am sure you will find it.  You can have it if you leave Kieran a nice little sum of money.

It was important for Kieran to tell me so that I could get a good word in for him with the tooth fairy I guess.  We do work closely together.

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October 15, 2009 · 9:35 pm

Memories

of a tiny life.

Logan Mathew-Alexander Lanoie-McEwen was born eight years ago today.

He lived a brief two days.  Still remembered.  His impact was bigger than he was.

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October 14, 2009 · 10:43 pm

O Mother,Where art Thou?

Today was quite the day. It was one of those morning when I sedate little kids so we can get some simple dental work done in a more pleasant way than the wrap and let scream method.  It is actually pretty hard to hold down a little kid that does not want a needle.  They become suddenly incredibly strong and make totally unpredictable movements.  Lovely when trying to do a mandibular block – and dangerous too.

I had just finished the first case and was measuring up the dose for the second child when I got a phone call.  Zaka’s day care was on the line.  He needed to be sent home since he had a “pink eye” and was not welcome to stay.  They could not reach his mom.

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Well, the other day, Zaka’s mom had her purse stolen and although she found it and all her ID and cards were left alone, her cell phone was smashed.  Today she was in class at SIAST and it is pretty near impossible to find someone there it seems.  The messages I left on the program head’s phone got no response. 

So, I sent a staff member over to the day care and Zaka spent the morning at my office.  At first he was having a great time but several hours later he was very bored and getting noisier and noisier as he played in the waiting room with our big blocks. I needed to get him out of there so that I and my staff would be able to work in the afternoon.

So, off we went to the golden arches for a drive through lunch.  Could not locate his mom but we did find Uncle Christian who was still at home and volunteered to watch him for the afternoon even though he would have to miss his own classes. 

Then it just so happened that Zaka also had a dental appointment with me in the afternoon. At 4.  Thought for sure that his mom would remember and in going to pick him up to bring him for the appointment would discover that he was now at my house with his uncle.  It got close to the time of his appointment but no mom. So, Uncle brought him over. 

It really is not so great to be left at Grandmas when Grandma is the dentist and a filling is needed.  Mom was really the one he wanted by that time.  The dental visit was a bit less than a success. We did get a temporary patch job done and then I packed Zaka up and took him back for more time with uncle so I wouldn’t miss a hair appointment.

Finally, just before 6, mom showed up. She called Christian to see if he could give her some help with her computer and when he said he was at home looking after Zaka, she was pretty surprised. Poor mom.  She was upset that she had caused such a lot of work for all of us because she had no phone and because she had forgotten an appointment. 

Life as a single mom trying to go to school gets very complicated when the boy gets sick. 

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Filed under Day to Day, Family

September 30, 2009 · 10:33 pm

Whew!

I just caught myself napping. 

I said good bye to the departing children and grandkids and sat down and dozed off.  Maybe I’ll catch my second wind and get something done before bed – or maybe not.

It was a full day.  I got up early to get a lasagne put together and set the oven to go by 4:30 so things would be cooking when I got home, had a shower and left to do a bit of praying up  at the church before work, had an occupational health and safety meeting at lunch and worked most of the day.  A couple of patients failed to show up so I printed off some pictures and did some other paper work at the office before heading home at 5.  Had to swing by the store to get garlic bread and a couple other things and got caught in the slowest check out line up ever.  Didn’t get home till almost 6. Crazy!  At least the lasagne was ready.

And then the party began.  Grace is 22 today today was the big day we were officially introduced to the boyfriend.  So it was quite an evening.  He seems a nice guy and Zaka seems to like him too which is a good sign. And I think he survived the zoo that our house can be when it is full of brothers and sisters and children.

It was a good day even if it was a bit crazy. 

Now, I’d better run through my music for tomorrow’s practice and then get some sleep.

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